Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick · last verified 29 July 2026
Virtual staging rules in New Brunswick
No staging rule, and one genuinely open legal question. New Brunswick's provisions prohibit misleading "statements." Whether a photograph is a "statement" has never been tested here — I found no decision, bulletin, or guidance applying either section to an image. New Brunswick is also mid-transition to a new governing Act, so this one needs re-checking more often than the others.
What you're actually bound by
Section 43.11(1) of the Real Estate Agents Act for advertising, and s. 43.61 more broadly for misleading or untrue statements in a regulated activity. Read them knowing the "statement" question above is unresolved.
The actual text
Quoted verbatim. Anything marked regulator guidance is the regulator's stated interpretation rather than a binding section.
The advertising provision
No licensee shall make any false, misleading or deceptive statements in any advertisement, circular, pamphlet or similar material prepared or used in respect of a regulated activity.
Real Estate Agents Act, RSNB 2011, c. 215, s. 43.11(1) · Read the source
The broader duty
In carrying on a regulated activity, no person shall make a statement that the person knows or reasonably ought to know is misleading or untrue or does not state a fact that is required to be stated or that is necessary to make the statement not misleading.
Real Estate Agents Act, RSNB 2011, c. 215, s. 43.61 · Read the source
What I couldn't verify
- · Both provisions say "statements," not images. Whether a misleading photo is a statement is untested in New Brunswick.
- · FCNB has made only one Rule under the Act — a fees rule. There is no advertising rule.
- · The New Brunswick Real Estate Association Act, 2026 was assented to on 12 June 2026 and changes the regulatory framework. Re-verify this entry on a shorter cycle.
- · General Regulation 85-24 could not be retrieved for keyword checking.
These stay listed until they're closed. If you have access to a document above, I'd genuinely like a copy — get in touch.
New Brunswick questions
Does New Brunswick require virtual staging disclosure?
No rule requires it, and there is an unresolved legal question underneath. Both applicable provisions prohibit misleading "statements" — section 43.11(1) for advertising and section 43.61 more broadly. Whether a photograph is a "statement" has never been tested in New Brunswick; no decision, bulletin, or guidance applies either section to an image.
Is New Brunswick's framework changing?
Yes. The New Brunswick Real Estate Association Act, 2026 was assented to on 12 June 2026 and changes the regulatory framework. This entry needs re-verification on a shorter cycle than other provinces. FCNB has also made only one Rule under the current Act — a fees rule — so there is no advertising rule to consult.
Before you rely on this
This page is information, not legal advice. I'm a licensed REALTOR®, not a lawyer. Every rule below is quoted from a primary source and linked so you can read it yourself — and where a rule doesn't exist, I say so instead of guessing. Rules change, and board MLS rules aren't public, so confirm anything you're relying on with your own board or regulator before you act on it.
Citing this page:
VirtuallyStage, "Virtual Staging Rules in New Brunswick" (last verified 29 July 2026). Researched by Ali Annabi, Licensed REALTOR®, Ontario. https://www.virtuallystage.com/virtual-staging-laws/new-brunswick